Underestimation
by eeriness
Summary: In an attempt to avenge the Uchiha clan, Sasuke tracks down Itachi. But he is still far from strong enough to defeat him. Itachi captures Sasuke in Tsukuyomi to demonstrate his superiority. Oneshot.


******Disclaimer: **Naruto and the Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto

******A/N: **Came up with this idea quite some time ago. There's no bigger meaning with the madness, just some torture of the poor Sasuke. Enjoy!  
Rated M for violence.

**Beta reader:** Mannerpool

* * *

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled. "I know you're here!" He was standing in an open field surrounded by trees. He had spent days tracking his older brother, and it had led him here. He was standing with his katana resting over his right shoulder, ready to use in case he was attacked. The breeze shook the leaves of the trees and Sasuke's black, sleeveless shirt, doing its best to distract him. Sasuke hardly noticed it. He was concentrating fully on noticing anyone or anything approaching. A twig snapped and the very next second Sasuke's left hand had found a shuriken and thrown it.

"My, my, didn't they teach you at the Academy to hide in the shadows and attack when your enemy least expected it?" The person Sasuke hated more than anything appeared from the opposite direction. Sasuke turned around fast, the point of his katana pointing at Itachi as his sharingan activated.

"I don't stab people in their back. Not like you," his voice was low and cold, hardly hiding any of the hatred he felt. "I have been training for 18 months, and I have never been as strong as this. Today will be the day I kill you!" Itachi just shook his head.

"Foolish little brother. Do you honestly think a little training is enough to surpass me?" He moved to a fighting stance, his hands ready to grab a weapon. "Do you think I have been wasting all this time? I too have trained. Of course there is a limit to what one can accomplish. Even for me," the last part said with undisguised disdain. Sasuke hissed, but kept carefully watching his brother. He knew he would be beyond every other opponent he had met, so he had to be ready for anything.

Second upon second passed, the only thing to be heard was the wind shaking the leaves above them and the grass beneath them. A drop of sweat ran down Sasuke's temple. What was he plotting? Itachi was just standing there immovable. Had he planned something? Was it just a clone? Would he be attack from behind? From above? Right? Left? Underneath? Question after question stormed through his mind. His sharingan should be able to look through any illusion, but he should not underestimate Itachi.

Itachi was still watching him. Sasuke felt like a prey being watched closely by a predator waiting to attack. His eyes started shifting around as inner voices screamed for him to attack. Sasuke grabbed a kunai and threw it as fast as he possible could and moved forward to attack any possible opening. Itachi parried off the kunai and dodged Sasuke's second blow.

"You are too impatient. Wait until your opponent makes an opening, then attack." Their eyes met. Blood red sharingans watched the other. Sasuke made another wild blow, which Itachi easily blocked. "Don't let your emotions control you. You will never win that way."

Sasuke jumped back, frustrated by how easily Itachi had blocked him and even lectured him. He performed the hand signs for Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu sent it straight at his enemy, but his flames were fast consumed by the black ones of Amaterasu. Sasuke had exposed himself to attacks when performing the jutsu and Itachi swiftly attacked with a kick at the side of Sasuke's head. As Sasuke didn't have time to move, he was sent flying across the field, rolled around. He got up again, just in time to block Itachi's second and third blow. Their eyes met again, and Sasuke hated the way Itachi looked at him. Like he was an opponent not worth taking serious.

"Is this all you've got?", Sasuke taunted through gritted teeth. He knew it was stupid, and he soon felt the consequences when Itachi placed a fist in his stomach.

"You cannot beat me," Itachi said, his voice completely calm. "You don't hate me enough." He grabbed the younger brother's chin and lifted his face to look at him. He closed his eyes for a second, but Sasuke knew what it meant. He tried to get away but it was already too late. Itachi opened his eyes, exposing the Mangekyou sharingan, he had obtained by taking the life of the friend he held closest. Tsukuyomi quickly sucked Sasuke in, and moments and moments later he couldn't find himself on the grassy field anymore.

He was standing in the middle of a gray area with a thick fog preventing him from seeing very far. Itachi appeared from the fog, walking completely exposed to any attack, but still with a look that was way too confident. Sasuke wanted to run forward and attack him, but the ground underneath him had turned into sand and both of his feet were trapped.

"You are in my world now, Sasuke," Itachi had almost made it to the younger of them. "You cannot do anything, and I could bring your worst fear to life, if I so wished." Sasuke fell to his knees, his body suddenly feeling extremely heavy. Itachi lifted his face by the chin. "But I have no interest in showing you that one more time." Sasuke tried to shake his head out of his brother's hand but to no avail. Instead he glared as hatefully as he could at the older brother. The sand holding his feet spread to his hands and soon he felt himself getting sucked deeper and deeper into the ground. Panic started to creep in on him and he fought to get up. But the harder he fought, the faster he sank. The sand cut like knifes and burned like fire and soon his entire body was buried. The sand entered his mouth and eyes and as he tried to spit it out, he only got more and more in. His lungs soon screamed for air, but there was no air to get. They complained painfully and dark spots danced before Sasuke's vision. He blacked out.

He didn't come to his senses before he again could heave in air. He was lying on his back staring up at a clear, blue sky. The ground felt soft and the burning feeling from the sand was completely gone. He felt immensely tired and most of all just wanted to stay where he was and let sleep conquer his body. But something told him he shouldn't give in to the temptation. He sat up and looked around, and just as he did that clouds started to gather in the sky and a strong wind began blowing, tearing at his body. He could hardly stand as the wind grew in strength and threatened to take him with it.

Cold, heavy raindrops started to fall from the sky, each of them feeling like small needles piercing his skin. He tried to shield himself from the painful rain, but there was no shelter to be seen anywhere. Blood was starting to run down his arms as he used them to shield the rest of the body. For each droplet that hit him a new wound added to the unbearable pain. He started running in the hope of escaping the rainy hell. He ran and ran but the landscape didn't change at all. He had no idea for how long he had been running before his legs gave way under him. They were burning terribly from the intense run and it didn't feel like he would ever be able to use them again. He fell down on his knees, the rain till pouring down on him mercilessly. His arms had been torn completely and were nothing but numb limbs hanging from his shoulders. He fell face first to the ground, the raindrops ceaselessly tearing him apart, but he didn't care. He was so tired and no matter where he went the pain would just follow him.

From the corner of his vision he could see something moving closer. The fear awoke in him again but he had no power left to do anything. The thing had now entered his vision completely and he recognized it as feet walking towards him. The sandals and the clothing were typically Akatsuki and he guessed it was Itachi, who had finally found him. The person knelt down before him holding an umbrella to protect himself from the rain. "Enjoying it so far?" Some blood had dripped down into Sasuke's eyes so his vision was blurry, but the voice definitely belonged to his brother. "Don't worry this is only the beginning."

Abruptly the rain stopped, but at the same time the painful pounding of his pulse through his million wounds began. Something shot up from the ground and locked around each of his wrists, gnawing deep into the skin. Sasuke groaned at the pain and tried to pull his arms away but without any luck. Two pillars raised up from the ground, chains connecting his wrists with the pillars. He was lifted up from the ground, so high he was barely able to touch the ground, letting his own weight pull his wrists. His wounds were stretched out and he clenched his fists and teeth tight, fighting back the scream that was crawling up his throat.

"Don't fight it, Sasuke." Itachi was just below level with Sasuke. He grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look at him. Sasuke wanted to move away but he simply didn't have the energy. "You will soon run out of power, so don't waste it." Sasuke's heart beat faster than it ever had, pounding violently against his ribcage. His breath followed the rhythm. His brother's eyes showed nothing but darkness, and knowing how merciless he could be, Sasuke could do nothing but hope that he soon would grow tired of the game and let him go. Nausea crept in on him and the darkness threatened to overwhelm him again. His focus floated around, and in something that felt like a distant dream he could hear someone call his name. "Come on, Sasuke, don't pass out now. I have prepared something special for you," Sasuke woke up a little as a strong, burning pain spread from his cheek to his ear. Itachi had slapped him, in the hope of keeping him conscious.

The young boy felt a weird numbness in his body. His limbs felt like they were just attached to his body but not really his. They felt cold and so did the rest of him. He wanted to block everything out, but passing out didn't seem too tempting either. It wasn't his choice though. His body really had reached its limit and blackness overthrew his mind, leaving him numb.

**(^^^)**

Something that felt like seconds later, Sasuke woke up. He had an outrageous headache that pounded hard just above his eyebrows and behind his eyes. His body was sore from hanging like he had for as long as he had, and the million wounds covering his back, legs, arms and part of his head were starting to itch. A sharp pain struck his hip and Sasuke hissed in pain. Another spot was struck and Sasuke realized that small stones were being thrown at him. He lifted his head to see his attacker, and was not surprised to see Itachi sit on a stone, lazily juggling with a third stone. "Awake?" he tossed the third stone at Sasuke and it hit his chest with a thud. Sasuke curled up in pain and hissed again. "I have been waiting a long time, you know," Itachi said, as he suddenly disappeared. Sasuke's eyes widened in fear and he desperately looked around, trying to see where he had gone. One thing is being trapped with your enemy in clear view. It's a completely other thing to be trapped when you had no idea what your enemy is doing.

A scraping sound, like someone digging, reached Sasuke. He looked at the ground where Itachi had been and noticed the ground was moving. Something was digging its way out of the soil. The young Uchiha's heart was beating fast, as he anxiously awaited what wicked trick Itachi had come up with. A hand shot up, followed by another hand and a man pulled himself out of the hole and after him came a woman. Sasuke desperately yanked in the chains that held him, when he recognized the two. He cursed himself as a strong gnawing pain from the torn flesh of his wrists spread. A small line of blood ran down each of his arms from the open wounds around his wrists. His terror-filled eyes returned to the two persons who were slowly moving closer. The two persons who were his dead mother and father.

Across his father's chest a long wound ran, opening his chest and stomach, so his intestines were showing, blood flowing out steadily. Sasuke got sick just by the view. "Sasuke, we are disappointed in you," it was not his mother's soft voice as he remembered it. Instead it was a hoarse, gurgling voice as if the person speaking was about to drown. But that was partly true. Mikoto's throat was slit open and blood was flowing down her chest and her stomach as well as the inside of her throat. "Why didn't you save us?"

How could she keep speaking with a slit throat? For each of her words a little blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.

"You were there, Sasuke," her judging voice stabbed Sasuke for each word spoken. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"I'm sorry," their youngest son's voice was nothing but a mere whisper, barely audible. Tears of guilt were burning behind tightly closed eyelids.

"You can't even avenge us!"

"Stop it!" Sasuke burst out. "Please. Make it stop," this was said more to Itachi, whom he knew was watching him, than to his two zombie-like parents. They had now made it all the way to Sasuke, and he could even smell their rotting flesh. The left side of Mikoto's face had a weird brown-green color and had peeled so much off, her yellowed teeth were showing. She reached out an arm with almost black skin from the elbow down, and when she touched his cheek he could feel how tender her hand was. Sasuke tried to turn his head away from the mouldering flesh but Mikoto bore her nails deep into his skin, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Why did you run away?" she pulled her hands down his cheek, drawing long, deep gashes down his cheek. He bit his lower lip hard to control the scream climbing up his throat.

"You were never as good as Itachi," his father's face was swollen and his right eye was milky white, telling it was blind. "How can you even dream of killing him?" His bony, cold hand grabbed Sasuke's arm and as their faces where only inches apart, he could smell his nauseous breath. "You're a disgrace to the family, Sasuke," Fugaku hissed. Itachi appeared behind Sasuke and grabbed his chin, turning his head, to look at him. "Do you understand, Sasuke?" Itachi had a cruel and worrying smile on his lips. "I may have killed them, but you didn't prevent it. Their blood is on your hands too."

The words cut like knives through Sasuke. A strong blast shook him and Fugaku and Mikoto were thrown several meters backwards. The chains holding him were released and his sword appeared before him.

"Kill them, Sasuke." He could hear Itachi, but it was like he was talking to him from a distant dream. He could never bring himself to attack his parents. "It's either them or you."

**(^^^)**

Me or them? Sasuke thought. Could he really be killed in Tsukuyomi? It was quite possible since Itachi had full control in this world.

Mikoto jumped forward throwing three kunai at him. It was in the last second Sasuke managed to block them with the sheath of his katana. They are already dead, Sasuke repeated to himself. I wont kill them for real if I kill them here. Swiftly Fugaku backed up his wife and threw a handful of shuriken. Sasuke tried to jump away but reacted too slowly and in a last attempt to protect himself, his arm was pierced by three of the shuriken. Sasuke jumped back, gritting his teeth as he pulled the shuriken out. It was no use trying to just block their attacks. They were two and had the advantage since Itachi was on their side. If he just wanted the slightest chance of surviving he had to fight back.

He unsheathed his katana and moved from a defensive to an offensive stance. He leaped forward toward his mother, fighting his conscience, as it kept telling him it was wrong to attack his beloved mother. He swung his sword but Mikoto blocked it with a single kunai. Despite her fragile looks she was incredibly strong. With her free hand she grabbed another kunai and swung it towards Sasuke's gut. He jumped back again, barely managing to dodge the deadly cut.

Swiftly Sasuke threw some shuriken at her, but Fugaku protected her wife and performed the hand signs for a Goukakyuu no jutsu. Sasuke had no chance of dodging the enormous flame aimed at him. In a matter of seconds the flames washed over him, burning his right leg and arm badly. He screamed due to the stinging pain. With his dominant hand and a leg out of use he had a significant disadvantage. He knew Mikoto had noticed because she was leaping toward him and was ready to cut him down with a rapid blow. Sasuke grabbed the katana by his side with his left hand, and even though he had to lean on his injured arm he managed to lift it. The pain shot through his arm and into his chest and the rest of his body. His vision was getting filled with dark spots and he lost his sense of orientation. But he knew he only had this one chance or it would all be over. He swung his katana and felt it hit something heavy. He fell back on his back and regained his vision. He turned his head and saw his mother lie beside him. Her eye were open and empty and a slim line of blood ran from her mouth.

Tears started to fill in his eyes when he remembered how he had found her seven years ago. She was in exactly the same condition. Empty, dead eyes and a slim line of blood from the corner of her mouth, cut down by one of her own sons. Itachi would pay for this, Sasuke promised himself, for something that must have been the thousand time.

Sasuke fought his way up on his feet again. He wiped the tears away with his arm and found Fugaku. He was still staring at his dead wife lying by Sasuke's feet, but not for long. His one seeing eye was clouded with rage when he moved to look at Sasuke. "You will regret this," he snarled through clenched teeth. He didn't have to say that for Sasuke to regret it. He had already regretted it a hundred times during the few seconds that had passed. Fugaku ran towards Sasuke, sending a violent blow for his head. Sasuke ducked and managed to evade it. The moment the older Uchiha realized he had missed his target, he kicked at Sasuke's bad leg. He smiled satisfied when he heard a crunching sound of bones breaking.

Sasuke fell down on his knee screaming in pain. The clean kick had broken his knee joint, sending painful lightnings up his already aching leg. A kick was placed right between his shoulders and he fell forward down on the ground. It was first in the last second he managed to pull himself together and roll to the side, before Fugaku bore a kunai deep into the ground where his chest has been. Sasuke groped for his katana but discovered it was out of reach. He did not have many possibilities left. He was almost out of weapons and his energy reserves were running low, as were his chakra. His entire body was more or less injured, causing him an even greater disadvantage. Fugaku had noticed this as well, so he didn't care to attack Sasuke instantly. Instead he stood by his side, looking at him with a gaze full of hatred. He kicked him in the side enjoying seeing Sasuke curl up in pain. He took him by the collar and lifted him up so they were at eye level. Sasuke was panting and at the edge of giving in to the darkness from exhaustion. Fugaku found a kunai and placed the cold steel on his youngest son's throat.

Sasuke knew time was running out. In a matter of seconds his throat would be slit and it would all be over. A sudden idea hit him. He concentrated the last of his power and with a quick movement he stuck two fingers in his father's only seeing eye. He pushed himself backwards trying to avoid the kunai on his throat, but didn't prevent a small wound. The blinded Fugaku had dropped to the ground and squirmed with pain and loss of orientation. It was a pathetic sight, but nevertheless it gave Sasuke the time he needed to find his katana. He crawled across the ground, each movement sending waves of pain through his burned arm and broken leg. He stood on his knees over Fugaku. Lifted his katana over his father, closed his eyes and then stabbed.

**(^^^)**

He had to support himself to his katana when exhaustion and nausea washed over him with the realization of what he had just done.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "Good job, Sasuke." The mentioned Uchiha turned around and looked with eyes full of hatred at his brothers cold ones. "We are the same," he continued. "You know what I felt now. And will you deny you liked the fight? It was painful but worth it, wasn't it?" His words made Sasuke want to throw up.

"You are disgusting," Sasuke managed to say, though it was barely audible.

"Do you feel anything, but pain now?" Itachi's voice had changed to a more serious one.

"I do," Sasuke could feel the pain pound through his body. But even through the strong feeling there was a second feeling too. "I feel hate too. Hate so strong it is almost painful."

Itachi let go of Sasuke's shoulder with a cruel smile. "Good." He turned around and walked away. Was it finally over? Sasuke closed his eyes and waited for Tsukuyomi to fade out, but nothing happened.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Itachi turned back around walked straight towards Sasuke. Sasuke had turned around to face him just in time to be hit by four kunai, one in each of his palms and arms, pinning him to the ground. He cried out in pain. "Your eyes," Itachi grabbed Sasuke's jaw, holding his face in place while he slowly dug two of his fingers into his younger brothers right eye socket. Sasuke screamed from the burning, painful feeling of his eye slowly being ripped out of his skull. He could feel the blood run down his cheek and reach his earlobe. Even if it was just a matter of seconds before Itachi was finished and continued with the second eye, it still felt like an eternity with unbearable pain.

Itachi looked at the body lying on the ground before him. It was a body completely torn from fights. Blood was steadily running down the cheeks from two holes where the eyes should have been. "Foolish little brother," he said and shook his head as he walked away.

**(^^^)**

As Tsukuyomi flew through Sasuke's mind in a matter of seconds, a terrified scream escaped his throat before he lost consciousness.

Itachi had a tight grip on him so he wouldn't fall. He scooped him up in his arms and carried him over to a tree where he carfully lay him down.

Itachi stroke a lock of hair away from Sasuke's sweaty forehead. Beside the expression telling how tormented Sasuke was by the traumatic trip through Tsukuyomi, it almost looked like he was sleeping.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Itachi whispered, gazing at his younger brother, worried. He stroke Sasuke's hair one last time before he stood up and walked away, knowing that the next time they would meet, would be their final encounter.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


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